Wireless Carriers Call On FCC To Act On Data Roaming Mandate

Smaller wireless companies called on the Federal Communications Commission to hurry up and update the nation's wireless roaming rules to include data services to reflect the growing use of mobile phones for far more than just voice communications.

They want the FCC to act on a rule that would ensure their customers can access data networks operated by other providers when outside their own network area at fair rates and terms. Companies such as Cricket Communications, Sprint and T-Mobile held a news conference to call on the FCC to include a proposed rule mandating data roaming on its April agenda. "Regarding data roaming, there is no question that there is a severe market failure," Rural Telecommunications Group General Counsel Carri Bennet, whose group represents small wireless operators, said in a statement. She said the rule is needed to help meet the Obama administration's goal of ensuring 98 percent of Americans have access to wireless broadband in five years. "RTG's members are willing to move forward with such deployments, provided they can assure their rural consumers that their devices will be able to access data networks outside of their rural areas on fair and equitable terms, Bennet said. "Without these data roaming agreements or assurances that these data roaming agreements will be forthcoming, President Obama's vision will not be realized." The firms argue that AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the nation's biggest wireless providers, currently have a duopoly in providing nationwide service and that the FCC needs to step in with rules to help ensure that as they migrate to new technologies, customers of other providers can access those networks when needed. Tom Sugrue with T-Mobile argued that his firm and others "are asking for the FCC to help when we can't reach agreements on roaming."